Transfer apparatus for threadadvancing reels



Oct. 9, 1956 w. H. FURNESS 2,765,904

TRANSFER APPARATUS FOR THREAD-ADVANCING REELS Filed March l6, 195sINVENTOR. WILLIAM H. FUR/V558 A rro/v/v I TRANSFER APPARATU F OR THREAD-ADVAN CIN G REELS William H. Furness, Haddonfield, N. 3., assignor toAmerican Viscose Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa, a corporation ofDelaware Application March 16, 1953, Serial No. 342,407 9 Claims. (Cl.203-200) This invention relates to an apparatus for transferring reelsegments to and from oppositely traveling composite reels such as usedin the treatment of filamentary material. More particularly, theinvention is intended to be used in conjunction with the apparatusdescribed in my copending application, Serial No. 238,851.

In my above-mentioned copending application, there is shown a pair ofthread-advancing reels which turn about their individual axes and whichalso move in an axial direction so that turns of thread or yarn woundonto the reels have constant axial spacing therebetween. Due to the factthat each composite reel moves axially, reels are formed of smalltelescoping or interlocking segments which are disengaged from one endof each reel assembly and then installed on the adjacent end of acooperating reel assembly which moves in the opposite axial direction.It will thus be seen that the reels desirably are grouped in pairs toobviate the necessity for transferring the segments from one end to theother of the same reel.

The present invention is directed to apparatus which automatically andmechanically engages a segment of one of a pair of thread-advancingreels, removes it from said reel and then installs it on the end of anadjacent threadadvancing reel.

A primary object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide amovable carrier positioned at the termini of a pair of thread-advancingreels and means for moving the carrier in a direction parallel to theaxis of the reels so that the carrier fits over and around one of thereel segments, whereupon the carrier is moved in an opposite directionto remove the reel segment, and then pivoted to align the segment withan adjacent reel, and finally moved axially in the pivoted position toconnect the segment in the carrier with the second reel assembly.

A further object of the invention is to provide in an apparatus of thetype disclosed herein, means for mounting and guiding the reel segmentcarrier.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in an apparatus ofthe type disclosed herein, means on the carrier for clamping the reelsegment therein.

Further objects will be apparent from the specification and drawings inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side view showing adjacent ends of two cooperating reelassemblies and my reel segment transfer device;

Figure 2 is an end view of the reel segment carrier or transfer deviceof Figure l with one of the reel segments positioned in the carrier; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional detail as seen at IlI-III of Figure 2.

The invention comprises essentially the provision of an annular collaror sleeve having an inside diameter larger than the outside diameter ofthe individual reel segments. This collar is provided with a pluralityof radially movable rollers which are pivotally mounted in the collar sothat they may be moved in a radial direction to grasp the periphery of areel segment and support the segment so Patented Get. 9, 1956 be carriedby the collar when the collar is an axial direction. The collar issupported on an arm or bracket which is slidable on a pivoting shaftboth the sliding and pivoting movements being controlled by suitableactuating mechanism such as fluidpressure cylinders.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, Figure i iilustrates anupper composite thread-advancing reel assembly 5 having a plurality ofidentical reel segments S, S, and S1 having a telescopic connection witheach other. This connection between the reel segments is preferably asliding fit tight enough to permit the various segments to act as aunitary self-supporting shaft or bar capable of being rotated by turningforce applied to one of the terminal reel segments. It will beunderstood that any suitable connection or coupling between the segmentsmay be utilized with the present invention provided the uncoupling meansfor separating the segments from each other is accomplished throughsubstantial axial movement.

As shown in Figure 1, the composite reel 5 turns on its own axis but iscaused to advance to the right as indicated by the arrows. Thecooperating reel assembly 6 turns in the same direction as reel 5 butmoves axially in the opposite direction, or from right to left. Athread, yarn, or filamentary material 7 is wrapped around the lower reelassembly 6 after passing through a thread guide Due to the direction inwhich reel 6 turns, thread '7 is wound from front to back, over the topof reel 6 and is taken off the front of this reel, and then is wound onreel 5 likewise from front to back.

The reel assemblies 5 and 6 are supported at each end in suitablebrackets or posts 9 which carry flanged pulleys 10, 10 journaled on stubshafts 11, 11 mounted in pillow blocks 12, 12. Endless belts i3, 13 passaround he reels 5 and 6 and are guided by means of the pulleys 10, iii.Axial movement of the reels 5 and 6 is effected by imparting a bias tothe shafts 11, 11 with respect to the centerline of the reel segments.hen the shafts are biased or tilted as shown in conjunction with reel 5,axial movement of the reel assembly is from left to right whereas whenthe pulleys or shafts are tilted in the opposite direction as shown onreel 6, the movement is from right to left. Rotation of the reels iseffected by driving the belts 13, 13 with suitable apparatus not shownherein but disclosed more fully in my copending application mentionedabove. As the upper reel assembly 5 moves slowly to the right, theendmost section S1 will advance completely beyond the supportingstructure 9 and belt 13. It is then ready to be disengaged from itsadjoining reel segment and transferred to telescopically fit the lastsegment S2 on the reel 6.

The carrier assembly 1'5 comprises a sleeve or collar 16 capable ofbeing slipped over the various reel segments S, S. Actual contact with asegment is provided through a plurality of small rollers 17, 17 (Figure3) which are journaled in pivoting brackets 18, 18. These brackets arespring-loaded by means of torsion springs 19, d9 in such a manner thatthe brackets 18 are urged about the pins 20, 20 in a clockwise directionas seen in Figure 2. A control ring 21 is turnable on the outerperiphery of sleeve 16 and retained thereon by means of an annularflange 22. Ring 21 is provided with a plurality of slots 23, 23 whichare not concentric with the ring so that when ring 21 is turned by meansof handle 24 with respect to the collar 16, the pins 25, 25 on eachbracket is cause the brackets to pivot on pins 20 thus moving therollers 17, 17 inwardly to securely engage the periphery of the segmentto be transferred. T he ring 21 is split at 26 and 27 for purposes ofassembly on collar 1'6. Since the reels 5 and 6 turn continuously ontheir own axes, rollers 17 will not interfere with this turning movementthat it will actuated in not only because the segment engaged by thecarrier is free at all times to turn in the carrier on the rollers.

The .collar 16 with its associated structure described above issupported and may be formed integrally with a bracket or lever having aninternally splined hub 31. The hub '31 is sli-dably 'but not-rotatablymounted on shaft 32 and the hub extends laterally to one side of thelever 60 where it is engaged by a split collar 33 rotatably retained onthe hub in a groove or undercut 34. The collar 33 is secured by means ofbolts 35, 35 in order to facilitate assembly on the hub. An arm 36connected to the collar 33 is in turn connected to the piston or .pistonrod 37 of a fluid-pressure cylinder 38 so that upon movement of thepiston rod 37 in the cylinder 38, the entire carrier assembly 15 slidesaxially on shaft "32.

Pivotal movement of the carrier is effected by means of a lever arm 40rigidly connected to shaft 32 by means of a set screw 41. The arm orbracket 49 is in turn actuated by fluid-pressure cylinder 42. throughits associated piston or piston rod 43. The cylinder 42 is swingablymounted at 44 to compensate for lateral displacement of the connectingpin 45 between piston rod 43 and bracket 4% Movement of the rod '43turns both the carrier 15 and the shaft 32 in bearings 46, 46, so thatthe carrier may be shifted from an upper position in line with reel '5to a lower position in line with reel 6. Suitable fluid inlet and outletpassages 47, 47 are connected to both cylinders 38 and '42 so that thecylinders may be energized either automatically or manually to transfersegments S from the reel 5 to the reel 6.

In operation, it may be assumed that reel 5 has advanced axially to theposition shown in Figure 1 in which the endmost segment Si is ready tobe transferred to reel 6. In this case, the carrier 15 is pivotedupwardly to the position shown in Figure l in which it is substantiallyin line with the reel 5. The operator then grasps handle 24 and turns itin a counterclockwise direction as shown in Figure 2 thus retracting therollers 17, 17. Cylinder 38 is then energized to slide the carrierassembly axially on shaft 32 until the carrier 15 is substantiallycentered on segment S1. The operator then releases handle 24 whichpermits the rollers 17, 17 to contact the periphery of segment S due tothe action of springs 19, 19. With the segment thus securely engaged andsupported in the carrier, cylinder 38 is energized to move piston 37 inthe opposite direction thus disengaging segment S from the reel 5. Assoon as the carrier and segment S have been moved to the rightsuificiently far to clear the end of the succeeding segment, cylinder42. is energized to pivot the carrier and shaft 32 to a position inwhich the segment S1 is in alignment with the end of the reel 6. Thecarrier in this same pivoted position is then moved axially byenergization of cylinder 38 so that the hub 31 slides along the splinedshaft 32 until the segment S1 carried by the roller 17, 17 is fittedfirmly in telescopic relationship with the endmost segment S2 on reel 6.As soon as this transfer is completed, the operator releases the rollers17 from the periphery of the segment by moving handle 24, whereuponpiston 37 is reversed to retract the carrier. Depending upon the rate ofadvance of the reels 5 and 6, a dwell in the operational cycle may beinstituted at this point or if the next succeeding segment on reel 5 isready for transfer, cylinder 42 is energized to pivot the carrier to theposition shown in Figure 1 whereupon the sequence of operations isrepeated.

In order to insure accurate alignment of the carrier in both the raisedand lowered positions, suitable adjustable stops or guides 50, 50 areprovided so that the segments can be removed from the reels andespecially so that they can be properly fitted onto the receding reelwithout difficulty.

In the above described operation and structure, it is to be noted thatthe reels 5 and 6 are vertically disposed with respect to each other. Itwill be understood, howditions, there may be increments of fast or ever,that the same results can be achieved if the reels are horizontallydisposed or, for that matter, in any other spaced relation. Furthermore,the operation at only one end of a pair of reels has been described. Theidentical apparatus is, of course, present at the opposite end of thereels, the only difference being that the segments are transferred fromreel 6 to reel 5 instead of vice versa.

The apparatus provides a completely continuous transfer for composite orsegmented thread-advancing reels which are used generally in conjunctionwith liquid treatment of the yarn wound thereabout. The actuation of thetransfer mechanism including the movement of the rollers 17 17 may bemade completely automatic through suitable sequential timing mechanismor operation may be manual in that the operator manipulates properlevers or valves for actuating the fiuid cylinders as well as the ring21.

It is to be understood that the present invention pro vides a verysimple and effective means for transferring the reel segments from theend of one reel assembly to the end of another. The timing of thepivotal movement of the carrier as well as the axial movement thereofcan be regulated in accordance with the axial movement of the variousreel assemblies. Desirably, under some conslow sliding movements as wellas a dwell or delay in certain stages of the operation. The presentdevice operates to transfer the segments without turning them from endto end so that it cooperates with reel assemblies moving in oppositeaxial directions. Otherwise it would be necessary to transfer thesegments from one end of each reel to the opposite end thereof.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A transfer mechanism for segmental thread-advancing reels comprisingan annular carrier, a horizontal support for said carrier, means formoving said carrier linearly on said support, means for pivoting thecarrier to positions in alignment with a plurality of segmental reelassemblies and means mounted on the carrier for selectively engaging andsupporting a reel segment comprising a plurality of rollers journaled topermit rotation of the reel segment in the carrier.

2. A reel segment transfer mechanism for handling segments of compositereels comprising-a horizontal shaft journaled with its centerlinesubstantially parallel to the centerlines of a pair of parallelcomposite reels, a carrier assembly non-rotatably mounted on said shaft,means for effecting non-rotatable axial movement of the carrier assemblywith respect to the shaft, means for turning the shaft and the carrierassembly to pivot the shaft to positions substantially in line withthesegmental reel assemblies, and releasable means on the carrier forengaging the periphery of a reel segment during transfer of the segmentfrom one reel assembly to the other.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 in which the shaft is splined tothe carrier assembly.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 having a first fluid-pressurecylinder operatively connected to the shaft for turning the shaft andthe carrier, and a second fluidpressure cylinder operatively connectedto the carrier for sliding the carrier axially on the shaft.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which the means forsupporting the segments comprises a plurality of spring-loaded rollerbrackets mounted in the carrier, and means for pivoting said rollerbrackets radially in the carrier.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5, having means for limiting thepivotal movement of the carrier.

7. In thread-advancing apparatus, the combination which comprises afirst thread-advancing reel assembly comprising a plurality ofinterlocked segments, a support at one end of said reel, means forrotating said reel on its axis and simultaneously moving the reel as aunit in an axial direction, a second thread-advancing reel assemblycomprising a plurality of interlocked segments, a support at one end ofsaid second reel, means for rotating said reel on its axis andsimultaneously moving the reel as a unit in an opposite axial directionto that of the first reel assembly, a reel segment carrier mountedadjacent the ends of said reel assembly, means for sliding said carrieraxially to enclose the endmost reel segment of the reel assemblytraveling towards the carrier, means for grasping said endmost reelsegment in the carrier, and means for pivoting the carrier to a positionin alignment with the other of the reel assemblies.

8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 in which the means for graspingthe segment to be transferred comprises a plurality of spring-loadedrollers mounted in the carrier.

9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 in which the carrier is slidablymounted on a splined shaft having an axis substantially parallel to theaxis of the reels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,713,426 Drew July 19, 1955

